HELP! Watering Smart Pots

[Jennykush]

Hello there! I am using 5 gal smart pots in a 5x5 tent and I was wondering what the best way to water them would be? And how much run off do they need?

[Canuck147]

Using your vessel of choice - add pH balanced water between 5.5 - 6.5 preferably 6.0 to your pot.
Runoff should be about 10%.
Personally, I water my plants in my kitchen sink.

[Campesino]

What is your grow medium?

[Campesino]

If your Coco is mixed with a good amount of perlite, I recommend that you water everyday until about 20% run off. You do not need to wait for the coco to dry, this is the main advantage of using coco. Water every day alternating nutes with plain+Cal/Mag. Always pH adjust all your water to about 6.0 (5.8 is ideal).

[Jennykush]

Do you have a recommendation on how many gallons that takes?

[Campesino]

Well, that depends on a lot of other factors. But I can give you an idea
I have 7 gallon bags with about 5.5 gallons of Coco/Perlite. I give each about 1 quart per daily watering in Veg and about 25-50% more in Flower.
The biggest factors that would affect this are Relative Humidity, lights, and the size/age/phase of the plants. When I am able to get my RH down in the 30s I need to add even more water and do a secondary daily watering. Never did that during Veg when I was keeping RH close to 50. The most I have had to give a plant in a day is 1/2 gallon across two waterings, and it was probably more than needed.

[Potted]

I agree with Canuck for the most part,I would add,water smart pots slowly so that u don’t miss any dry spots and I always water to 20% runoff. Lol

[Locrian99]

I’ve been debating on going to watering just barely to run off on the nutrient waterings and doing 20% on the plain ph’d water in soil. If the idea of the run off is to wash out the extra salts, I’d think that would work.

[Campesino]

Locrian99 I agree with your theory and basically practice it. Run-off is more important on non-nute waterings, but I always make sure there is a least a trickle with nutes.

[Donny061]

Are you supposed to ph the water first then add nutes or add all nutes then adjust ph?

[Chefbjy]

Campesino thought so lol I'm using the flora series gh.

[Locrian99]

Chefbjy yep I’m wondering how I’m going to be doing this when they are done with the stretch I still have 2 more weeks of veg been thinking of so ideas so I can water them in place better. I like taking them out for LST and scoping them out under a regular light. And what camp said on the silica even my raw silica I’m using says to add it first from what I’ve seen fox farms doesn’t have a silica nutrient.

[Campesino]

Locrian99 Just M2c, Plants really don't like being moved around too much, so if you can find a way to water in place that would probably be best - and in the long run easier.

[Chefbjy]

Locrian99 I keep thinking I'm done with the stretch but I keep tying stuff down lol. Running out of light room and I'm going to have to take them off the crates and maybe take my light off the adjustable clips and mount it to the top of my tent. So I'm thinking some tubs that I can set them in so I can check run off individually, and a pump with a splitter that will cycle the run off into a bucket that way I just have to empty one bucket but I'm running out of space to move around so I'm going to have to get a wand to water and feed. One plant is just trying to fill my tent with canopy I keep tying and lst did supercropping it's just unruly and too big to move. A couple others are limited in size comparison but still reaching closer to the light so they need to come down since my clips are as high as they can go.